Neighbors
by Sango The Lecher Slayer
Summary: AU. All he wanted was to get to know his elusive neighbor. He had no idea what she had in store for him. [KogaxKagome]
1. Chapter 1

AN: I'm back! With a (teaser for a) short, multi-chapter story of one of my favorite pairs.

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KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

Kagome awoke with a start as she realized someone was pounding at the door. Furiously. She fumbled for her cell phone, squinting at the bright light of the screen as she checked the time. _Only 10:15pm? _She thought to herself. _Work must've really taken it out of me this past week. _

She placed her phone back on the nightstand and pulled the covers, snuggling back into the warmth of her bed. As she drifted off again, her thoughts turned to her bed. _So comfy. So cozy. I love sleep_. _Why aren't naps encouraged at work? Sleep is the best. Why did—_

She jolted out of bed with a shout. "Knocking! That's why I woke up!"

Kagome hastily rolled out of bed and grabbed pajama bottoms that were unceremoniously deposited on the floor. She tried to hop into them as she ran her fingers through her hair and walked to the door.

"Note to self," she muttered, "multi-tasking is less successful when I am tired and disoriented. Executive functioning capacities are limited. One thing at a time, Kagome, one thing at a time."

She paused to finish tying the drawstring of her pajama pants before turning to look in the mirror. Noticing the state of her hair, she shrugged at herself and tried to smooth her bedhead down some more before opening the door.

"Sorry for the delay," she began. "Is everything ok? Is anyone-?"

Kagome was cut off by her neighbor sliding past her, breezing inside her apartment. As he made his way over to her kitchen, he surveyed the small and lived-in space that was cluttered but clearly cared for. _Full of personality_, he thought to himself.

The neighbor made himself comfortable, pulling out a chair before addressing Kagome, who was frozen by the front door. "First things first, you shouldn't answer the door without asking who it is. That's not safe. Stranger danger is out there, little neighbor. Be aware. Obviously I'm no stranger but you never really know, do you?"

The neighbor continued on as if unaware of Kagome's stunned expression. "Second, if you could close the door you'd be doing me a real big favor."

Kagome blinked and jerked to close the door. She was more startled than anything by the fact that she had been considering following her neighbors command, which was barely disguised as a request. The shock on her face disappeared as she purposefully schooled her expression to look serene.

_OK, Kagome, _she thought to herself. _That was an embarrassing reaction for someone who has your training. Time to ease out of statue mode and assess the situation._

While maintaining her pleasant façade, Kagome surveyed her neighbor, examining his facial expression and body language for hints that would give away his intentions. _His body language illustrates that he's at ease. While his facial expression attempts to demonstrate the same thing, his eyebrows indicate underlying nervousness. Coupled with the briskness and brashness with which he entered my apartment, I can determine that he is here because he needs something. _

Quickly replaying their initial interaction, she concluded_, He's here to ask me a favor—one he was compelled to ask by someone else or a more personal favor. _

Kagome closed the door and watched as her neighbor visibly relaxed. She quickly surveyed him to see if there were any weapons on his person. While his background check had come back clean, Kagome's training was too thorough for her to ignore. She pasted a smile on her face and walked over to the kitchen as he pressed on.

"Third, little neighbor, I think it's high time we introduced ourselves. We've been living next to each other for over a year now and we've never had a real conversation. And that," he winked, "simply cannot go on any longer. I'm Koga Watanabe. And you are?"

Kagome ran through the information compiled during his background check. _Koga Watanabe, 31-years-old, high school history teacher. Graduated from a prestigious university with honors. Oldest of four siblings, very close to his family, both nuclear and extended. No criminal record or charges against him with the exception of several parking tickets for his motorcycle. No significant romantic relationships at the time of the background check._

Kagome pulled up a chair and graced Koga with a brilliant smile. "Well, Koga, let's address the three issues you've so kindly brought to my attention. In reverse order, if that's all right with you?"

Kagome paused as Koga shifted in his chair, his posture belying his confusion at her reaction. She dropped her smile before continuing in an even voice. "Third, if you'll recall, I introduced myself to you the very first week you moved in. I'm Kagome Higurashi. Second, while the door has been closed at your request, it is unclear how this was doing you a big favor. And first," Kagome paused, smiling serenely and looking at Koga in the eyes, "you shouldn't come inside someone's apartment without knowing who is in it. That's not safe. Stranger danger is out there, neighbor. Be aware. Obviously I'm no stranger but you never really know, do you?"

Kagome reached out to tap Koga on the jaw, which had dropped open in surprise at her response. "I might have forgotten to mention," she continued breezily, "that I have a state of the art security system, which allows me to always see who is outside of my door."

As she stood up, she continued in a honeyed tone, "I would never let any old stranger into my home sweet home."

Satisfied that she had sufficiently answered his questions, Kagome offered Koga her hand to help him out of his chair. Koga grinned as he grabbed her hand and stood, using the opportunity to pull her close to him. "Just who are you?" he asked in wonder.

"Koga, I thought I made that perfectly clear. I'm Kagome Higurashi. Your neighbor." She replied, tapping him on the nose. She pulled away and walked towards the door, clearly intending to show him out of her apartment.

As Koga followed, he noted the aforementioned security system that he had mistaken for artwork. _Hidden in plain sight, _he marveled to himself.

He asked, "And why does Kagome Higurashi have a state of the art security system in her humble abode?"

She turned and graced him with a real smile, the first of the evening. "That, Koga Watanabe, is classified."

Reaching for the doorknob, she paused. _Why do I have to have such a soft spot for helping people_? she mentally grumbled.

She sighed before turning around to face him again. Standing toe-to-toe, she said, "You clearly came over to ask for something. And it seemed to be something of urgency, based on the over-the-top knocking and your desire to have me close the door. So," she cocked her head and asked, "what is out there that you don't want to reach you?"

Koga grinned. _I knew I made a good choice_, he crowed, mentally patting himself on the back. "Why, Kagome, I thought you'd never ask."

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AN: Thank you for reading! As always, I look forward to your reviews, theories, and thoughts about the direction of this story. Until next time!


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Thank you for the kind feedback so far! This story has ended up taking a different shape than I expect, and I am excited about the direction it is going. In particular, I'm excited to have Kagome in a role where competency and strength can shine through, in addition to her caring nature.

Kagome took in the smug look on Koga's face and sighed heavily.

"I might as well put on the kettle for some tea. It seems I'm in for a story, hm?" She asked, politeness edging her voice. She turned to walk back to the kitchen and motioned for Koga to follow her. She was stopped, however, by a large, rough hand grasping her smaller one.

"Thank you, Kagome," Koga smiled, turning her so he could look into her eyes. He brought her hand up to his lips and brushed a kiss across her knuckles. "You won't regret this."

Dropping her hand, Koga made his made to her kitchen with Kagome hot on his heels. As he reached for the kettle on the stove, Kagome's hands stopped him. Confused, he turned to look at her.

"I don't know what your game is," she began calmly, "but I don't want to be a pawn in it. That's no good for me and definitely a very bad idea for you. But I _am _willing to listen and see if I can help. That's it. Now," she released his hand, "fill the kettle with water while I grab my tablet so I can take notes."

As she turned to walk away, Koga interrupted her cheerfully. "No need!" He expressed. "My story is a quick one. A sharp girl like you can remember the details without writing them down."

Kagome turned to face Koga, eyeing him before she pulled up a chair. _Man, his emotions are all over the place, _she grumbled to herself, _I'm having a hard time getting a read on him. What's his deal?_

Kettle filled, he placed it on the stove and turned on the burner to heat the water. Koga slid into the chair opposite Kagome's. "I truly have no doubt that you are the perfect person for my…dilemma. All you have to do is say yes." Koga began.

"I'm not agreeing to anything without being fully aware of the situation—" Kagome began.

"I know, I know." Koga interrupted. "And I wouldn't expect any less from you," he continued on, tapping her on the nose.

Kagome grumbled, "You said you didn't even know my name until tonight. If we're being frank, I don't think you're the best judge of character."

"But, Kagome, Kagome, I have all the information I need!" Koga soldiered on, ignoring her less than enthusiastic response. "The long story short is—I haven't been on a date in a while."

Kagome's hands dropped to the table top and she pushed her chair away. Standing, she spoke in a deceptively calm voice. "You woke me up and barged into my apartment so you could ask me out on a date? Someone you don't even know?"

"Please, sit back down," he begged. "That was the abridged version of the story."

Kagome warily took her seat. "Proceed."

Koga rubbed his face before sighing deeply. "I haven't been on a date in a while. My friends have been…concerned to say the least. As I'm sure your friends would be if you were dateless for a significant span of time?"

Kagome remained silent, an unimpressed look on her face. Koga grimaced slightly before gathering his thoughts. _OK, not so subtle. Going to have to go for the 'I'm so helpless, silly me!' angle._

"Anyway, they decided that if I didn't go on a date by the end of the month, they would set me up. And here we are, the last day of the month. So when they gave me the heads up that they would be coming to collect me and they had my date with them—"

Kagome relaxed before finished his thought, "You came over to my place to hide."

Koga grimaced, "Ehh, yes and no."

Her spine stiffened before she grit out. "What. Did. You. Do."

Interrupted by the whistling of the kettle, Koga promptly stood to remove the kettle from the heat and prepare the cups of tea, humming to himself all the while. After three minutes, he brought the tea back to the table. "Careful," he said quietly, "it's hot."

"Koga," Kagome pressed, although less sharply than before, "what did you do?"

He smiled, collecting his hands in hers, "Well, you know how a good neighbor can come over to borrow a cup of sugar? Or a hammer?"

Kagome blinked, her facial expression carefully arranged to be neutral. 

Koga loosened one of his hands to tug at his collar before running his fingers through his hair. "Consider yourself the cup of sugar. I told them you were my new girlfriend, and I'd be spending the night at your pl—"

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

Both heads turned quickly to face the door as Kagome mentally ran through the conversation once again.

"Koga," she groaned. "You have no idea what you've gotten yourself into."


	3. Chapter 3

Kagome rose from the table and quickly walked over to the display panel of her security system. _Three guys; two short, one average height. Smug smiles on their faces_. She rolled her eyes. _Yeah, these are definitely Koga's friends_.

She walked over to the door and eased it open slightly, just enough to stick out her head. "Hi, you must be Koga's friends?" she asked in a polite, friendly voice.

One of the shorter guys gave her a huge grin. "Yeah! I'm Ginta, and this is Hakkaku and Hiten. We're here to—"

"Oh, I know," Kagome interrupted, "Koga is very excited about his date."

The indignant huff and scrape of chair legs let her know Koga was on his way from the kitchen. Quickly, she continued, "He was having some bathroom problems and he asked to get ready here. Between you and me," Kagome added quietly, "I think he's having some…digestive issues. Maybe he's nervous about going out? It'll just be a few more minutes."

The guys grimaced. Hakkaku jumped in, "Uhh yeah, let him know he can take his time. We'll just be waiting out here."

"Wonderful!" She flashed them a brilliant smile as she turned to close the door.

"Wait," a hand shot out to keep the door open, "what's your name?"

Kagome flashed another smile at them. "Kimiko Hamishi, lovely to meet you all. I'm just going to check on Koga now."

Swiftly, she shut the door and came nose-to-chest with a very frustrated Koga.

"Bathroom issues?" He muttered darkly.

"Well," she began, running her fingers through her hair to put it in a ponytail, "to be frank, we need a little bit of time to take care of the issue you've created."

"So you'll help me out?" Koga started, feeling hopeful. He paused before deflating slightly. "But you just said I was going to go out with them. Also you gave them a fake name—what was that about?"

Kagome rummaged through the top drawer of her entry way table. Finding what she was looking for, she placed them on the table and triumphantly turned towards him.

"Lipstick and perfume? That's what you needed?" He asked, confused.

"Standard issue," Kagome replied, distracted. She looked him up and down before announcing, "We're going to have a bit of a pop culture knowledge check now. How does that sound?"

"What doe—" Koga began.

"Wonderful," she interjected smoothly. "I take it you've seen the 90s classic _Men In Black_?"

"Of course. But wha—"

"Great, that will make this so much easier." She clapped her hands. "Then we'll begin. My name is Kagome Higurashi and I am a member of the National Intelligence Bureau. I've been placed on an assignment to monitor a potential threat in the area. Although your background check turned up clean," she continued on, ignoring Koga's surprised huff, "I have determined that you," she pointed accusingly, "could potentially compromise my assignment. As such, I'm going to have to wipe your memory."

Koga's jaw dropped and he stood temporarily dumbfounded. "Wipe my memory?" he asked, "Like…"

"Precisely, like in Men In Black. Now you get it!" Kagome smiled, reaching for what appeared to be a tube of lipstick.

"Look, everyone knows that you can't just wipe people's memories. That's all fictional!" Koga protested.

She turned toward the mirror in her entryway and began applying lipstick. "To be blunt, you're wrong. Standard issue NIB operative kit includes both tactile and olfactory memory wipe devices."

Koga grimaced. "So the lipstick and…?"

"Perfume," Kagome finished for him. "We've found that using two senses at once increases the success of the wipe."

"I'm not sure why you're telling me all this," Koga stated bluntly.

"Great question. Our understanding of how to erase memories is more of an art than a true science at this point. What we have determined, however, is that the brain is more likely to accept having memories wiped if the person is able to make complete sense of the memories leading up to the wiping." Kagome rubbed her lips together before looking at her lipstick application with a critical eye. Satisfied with how it turned out, she turned to look at Koga.

"So you're giving me all of this background information because _subconsciously _I'll understand why you had to wipe my memory?" Koga asked, frowning.

"You're a quick one," she complimented. "Yes. And it will help the replacement memories settle more easily."

"And just what will I remember after this?" Koga asked darkly.

Kagome smiled before replying, "Another good question. You're practically doing my job for me!"

She stalked towards him, perfume in hand, and sprayed it once under his nose. Her face turned serious before she continued, "You'll remember just what I tell you to remember. You came by to introduce yourself to your neighbor, Kimiko Hamishi, and to ask her to use her restroom since yours was temporarily nonfunctional. You then got ready to go on a date with nice girl your friends set you up with. How does that sound?"

Although he tried not to inhale the perfume too deeply, Koga began to feel its effects. A little woozy, he mumbled, "Doesn't sound too great to me, if we're being honest."

"Don't worry," she replied, "you'll be feeling great in no time." She slid her hands to his shoulders before she shifted to the balls of her feet. She reached up to press a soft kiss on his mouth.

"Enjoy the rest of your night, Koga Watanabe," Kagome murmured against his lips.

"You too, Kimiko," Koga replied, voice low.

With a sigh, she released him and pushed him towards the entryway. She opened the door and smiled broadly before announcing, "Boys, Koga is feeling much better. He's all yours!"

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AN: Thank you for stopping by; please let me know your thoughts! I'm excited to see if anyone can guess what will happen next.


	4. Chapter 4

AN: As always, I do not own the characters.

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After the lock clicked into place, Kagome found herself sliding down the door. _What in the world am I going to do about this? Why did he need to get involved so close to the mission being over?_

Running her hands through her bangs, she grabbed her laptop before walking over to the couch. Booting up her computer, _which I just got to shut down for the day_, she grumbled to herself, she connected to the VPN. Within seconds, her screen showed her good friend Sango's annoyed face.

"What did you do this time, Higurashi?" Sango snarked.

Kagome sighed, pulling at the ends of her hair. "It wasn't my fault this time!" she whined. "My neighbor suddenly came over to ask me on a date and he was a little too…intuitive. I had to Men in Black him." She heard the sound of clacking keys as Sango pulled up Kagome's comprehensive report about her apartment complex. When the sound of the keyboard stopped, Kagome looked up again.

"We're talking about Koga, right? Is he your guy?" Sango asked, voice lilting.

Kagome rolled her eyes, "I wouldn't necessarily say he's **_my_** guy, but he is the guy. Can we just focus on identifying action items to ensure proper 14-9-24 procedure?"

Sango paused from reviewing the report to look up at her monitor, concern apparent on her face. "Yeesh, Kagome, do you actually like this guy or something? The only time you use technical jargon is when you're unsettled."

Slumping, Kagome grumbled, "It's not that I'm interested, I—I just want this mission to be over."

Sango nodded sympathetically. "I know, dude, we all want to catch this guy and move on. I can't believe you've been on this assignment for-" she paused to check the paperwork "damn, 49 weeks. No wonder you're ready to bounce."

"So, next steps are…?" Kagome trailed off, trying to get her friend back on track.

"Well, if you used the perfume and the lipstick, you should be good to go. File an incident report that we can send to HQ and you should be good to go."

Kagome nodded wearily at her screen. _I hate paperwork. God damn it, this is going to take all night. _"Got it. Thanks, Sango. Logging of—"

"Kagome," Sango interrupted, "hang in there. You're one of our top agents and we need you to keep up morale. You are so close to catching this son of a bitch."

Kagome sighed, "I know, I know. Thanks for the pep talk, Sango. Hopefully you won't hear from me again before the mission is over."

"But if I do…" Sango began.

"Yeah, yeah, I owe you big time gummy worms. Don't worry, dude, I know what you like." Kagome finished with a grin.

Sango flashed a grin back. "You know it. Logging off."

Kagome shut her laptop before standing up to survey her apartment. _Looks like there is no trace of Koga. No reason for him to come by, thank goodness. So I guess this means—_she smiled brilliantly—_I can be reunited with my true love. Bed!_

Shuffling over to her room, Kagome flung open the door before swiftly summersaulting into bed. Sleep quickly claimed her, with thoughts of Koga far from her mind.

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AN: Thank you for reading! Let me know your thoughts and any guesses you have about the turns the story will take.


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